It is desirable in the insulation industry to be able to install insulation not only on straight pipes but on specialized segments such as elbows, T's, valves, flanges, S bends, Y-branches, strainers, unions, and various other fittings. While flexible insulation is known which can be wrapped about such specialized fittings, pipefitting covers have been developed to enclose such insulation, in order to surround and protect the insulation, e.g., from tears, water, spills, etc., and to present a neat, aesthetically pleasing covered fixture.
Improvements in pipefitting covers are described in several patents, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,495,629, 3,732,894, 4,553,308, and 4,669,509, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, in which a variety of pipefittings have been provided with standardized one or two-piece protective and attractive covers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,894, for example, provides a pipefitting cover for a T joint made of two T-shaped halves, pivotally connected by a rivet or screw, which fit over and enclose a T-shaped pipefitting covered by insulation.
Although specialized covers for many types of pipefittings are known, there remains a need for an attractive pipefitting cover for Y-shaped joints, such as strainers having a "dirt leg", wherein a straight segment of pipe is connected to a second pipe (or dirt leg) which diverges from the first pipe at an angle.